The director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Jay Bhattacharya, is expected to take on an additional role as the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New York Times reported, citing two government officials.
While remaining as the head of the NIH, Bhattacharya will lead the CDC until President Donald Trump names a permanent replacement, which requires Senate confirmation.
The appointment comes after Jim O’Neill, the former acting CDC director, resigned last week as part of a leadership shake-up at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
O’Neill, who also left his position as deputy health secretary, is expected to be nominated by Trump to lead the National Science Foundation, according to the officials.
In August, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired former CDC director Susan Monarez less than a month after she took office, accusing her of not aligning with the Trump administration’s healthcare policies.